Feather Down Farm - various - UK

We stayed at Pant Y March near Bala lake Snowdonia and had the best time. The farming couple were totally totally lovely and welcoming.
The canvas cabin/tent was just like the pictures on the website and were cosy and comfy while feeling a little wild and rustic but easy to keep tidy and use for cooking etc. Showers were great, views were fab, honesty shop wasn't over-priced pretty standard for the area TBH, a slection of emergency bits and bobs but also fresh local meats and beer. We weren't 'stung' for extras at all.

We fed an orphan lamb and the communal chickens every day, which our (just) 2yo was thrilled with. The tent area was well maintained with short grass area around so we could walk about and from car to tent etc without getting soaked feet. Our dog was welcome and once we established our neighbours/farmer were happy about it he was allowed to be off the lead so not tied up all the time.

There are LOADS of activities to do in the area, so despite the very wet weather we were never stuck for entertainment and the farmer gave us loads of pointers on where to go for activities and eating out.

Our toddler was free-range the whole time, in and out of the tent and happily playing with the 2 older children in the next door tent.

All in all we had the best holiday we have had in 3 years and would go back in a heartbeat.

We went to Dolphinholme Farm in Lancashire, which is in a beautiful location on the edge of the Trough of Bowland.

Overall we loved it - the 'tents' are fantastic, rustic enough to give a real sense of adventure, with the super-cute cupboard bed and deck chairs ideal for lounging in front of the wood-burning stove. But comfy enough that you don't feel cold or have to wee in a bucket!

The stoves take a bit of getting used to - take some firelighters and start with small twigs/paper, until it is well-established, or the bigger logs put it out. And you do need to keep an eye on smaller kids around it - there is a small barrier but you know how little hands are like magnets for anything dangerous.

The location was great - on the edge of a huge field perfect for ball games, just across from a beautiful stretch of river where you could paddle and skim stones. There's also a playbarn with slides, a trampoline, and hay bails. And as it's next to the goat shed you get little goaty faces peeking out at you!

It's a working goat farm and the owner will take you on an interesting tour, and my teenager went along and helped with the milking as well, which he loved.

Plus points: eggs fresh from the hen! Lovely bacon in the honesty shop!

Downsides: getting that fire burning can be tricky, so if you are there during colder weather, take extra blankets and PJs etc, as well as slippers. Plus take a big bin bag to throw any wet clothes in. It is also, I think, a bit overpriced - I did feel a tad ripped off by the end of the weekend. I'm sure all those countryside folk think it's hilarious that us city types pay a small fortune to come and 'rough it'!

Overall though a really fun experience.

I've been to Billingsmoor three times with my 3 children and my experience was much more like Carletta's than Eightieschild. Our children 'borrowed' the farm dogs and went for walks in the woods and across the fields. We took our food scraps to feed the pigs. Hens wandered free, and there were calves, ducks and sheep. Obviously you have to be careful around the cows (but the point is it's a working farm).There's loads to do nearby, but we spent loads of time just mooching on the farm.

As for the farmers 'cashing in', that's just nonsense. Many of the products were comparable with supermarket goods of the same quality. OK a few things were marked up, but presumably someone had to use petrol and time to go and buy them and so the farmer is probably covering their costs and breaking even, which is fair enough, they're not Tesco!! Also you have a choice, it's not mandatory to use the honesty shop-it's just a great service so that you don't have to leave the farm every time you need something.

The farmers were lovely, so friendly and kind, they really add to the holiday. Our children are always asking when we can go again.

We went to FeatherDown site at Billingsmor farm and had such a different example as the one I have just read. I have three children and we stayed at the farm for a week and had such a great time. The kids could roamed safely in the woods and field with out my husband and i worrying about them. The kids went on the farm walk and meet all the animals including the pot bellied pigs as well as watching the cows being milked. Their were baby calves and different types of ducks and we seemed to adopt one of the farm dogs called Meg who had had a litter of puppies which the kids loved. Their was a Pizza night and the communal oven was lit once a week so we could cook our own food. My kids had a day at Wildwanderers which was fantastic. It is a forest school site set in Bilingsmoor woods and they learnt how to firelight, whittle and make walking sticks and have pizza and loads of cooked marshmallows.
Our views from our dwelling were splendid. We had time to relax and rejuvenate in a peaceful, quiet area. We will go again as the facilities were great. A holiday away from the hustle and bustle of TVs, videos a time to take in the simple outdoor life with the luxury of comfy beds and a woodburner. Thanks for a great holiday.

We stayed at Billingsmoor in June 2011. We had high hopes as it all looked and sounded amazing! In the end it was 'okay', the farm is a working dairy farm and we had a tour of the milking area etc but there was no communal hens or other animals for the kids to get involved with, indeed, the only entertainment was a field full of stinging nettles in front of us and a wood which was okay for a while... I lost count of the stings our kids got. The farmer was quite lax in keeping the grass manageable just outside of our tent. Glad we had the 'private rather small chicken coop' at extra cost as it provided some entertainment for the kids (3 and 5) although no eggs.

The featherdown concept is very much 'cashing in' on extras, the one that really got me was having a metal barbeque outside our tent but we needed to rent the metal grill at a cost per night! So much is made from extras and I don't think they are worth it. The stew seems extortionate to me and I am not5 tight at all. The honesty shop was pricey and you could get things like local eggs much cheaper locally.
I think Featherdown is nice, but for me I could not decide whether it was 'posh camping' or 'slumming it in a dodgey mobile home', but for

We went on a featherdown farm weekend in June 2011, with our 2 dd's (aged 11 and 9) and absolutely loved it.

We stayed on East Shilvinghapton farm in Dorset, the highlights for us were feeding the baby goats, cooking pizza in the oven and having a camp fire.

Our dd's loved it and didn't want to come home.

A bit more rustic than the glossy brochure shows but that was ok. It was rarther cold at night which was bothersome as I didn't sleep well. Ds had a ball and made new friends and didn't once mention missing the television. Another downside for me was the lack of a powerpoint to dry my hair in the shower block. I know its camping as pointed out by the farmer's wife but we were out and about in the day and went out for dinner so would have liked to at least look presentable. Men could go without a shave but noticed they were catered for.

My advice would be to take a gas stove, as the kettle takes ages on the wood burner. Extra quilts and warm clothes. Also lots of candles, torches etc.

Just back from a long weekend at Dolphinholme. Loved it and it's our second time. DD took her bff and we had the most chilled time. Yes it's expensive, but you get a quiet, unsophisticated holiday that's hard to beat in this modern day. No phones, no tv games, no clubs and no fuss. If it's the emperor's new clothes I'll happily strut my naked stuff again :)

The phrase "the Emporer's New Clothes" springs to mind when I think of our Feather Down Farm experience - just like in a review by the Times, a couple of years ago. Yes, the older children completely loved it. Yes, the fresh air and farm smells were glorious, but no ... it was not a relaxing holiday with a 2 year-old.
Put simply, for the cost, we could have had a holiday cottage. Does this make it glamping [glamourous camping] or more like slummaging [slum holiday cottaging]??? When you've paid over

Billingsmoor Farm - Devon

I couldn't disagree more with the last review of this farm as a location for a Featherdown Farm holiday.
The farm is obviously a working farm which is the whole concept of Featherdown farms, the cows are milked at 6am and 4pm and they do have to be lead down to the milking shed but this did not disturb us at all, you could hear the cows, this is however the sound of the countryside!
The family who run the farm are passionate organic farmers but were very welcoming and keen to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. They were prepared to go the extra mile eg. specially ordering and collecting food produce from local suppliers for us.
Our 2 boys, aged 5 and 7, enjoyed the open spaces, farm and woodland and just wanted to spend all day exploring, including a day at the on site forestry school. Even taking a 10 month old was easier than we had anticipated.
The views from the tents were beautiful, there is nothing better than enjoying your morning cuppa sat outside in your pj's looking at the countryside.
The tents are just as you see in the brochure and are arranged with 2 or 3 tents per field and in such a way that you do not over look one another. There is no electricity but the wood burning stove and the candles just add to the atmosphere - we were surprised that none of us missed the tv! There were hot showers for us to use in a building in the farm yard. There was also an honesty shop for the daily essentials and some little treats.
We totally enjoyed our stay and soon found ourselves relax down to the Featherdown farm pace of life.
We would like to say thank you for a lovely holiday.

We stayed at Pettywood Farm in 2010 over Easter and it was great especially the hosts who were really lovely. Wanted to book to go back again but sadly they have shut down so off to Norfolk to stay at Wild Luxury as its a bit closer and their farm site is close to the coast. Will post a review when I have more info...

We went to Ash Park Farm in Dungiven, Londonderry. Our first trip to a Featherdown Farm & it was a great family bonding experience. Loved the farm, the hosts, the area & especially the amazing tents. The kids loved the freedom of the farm's location & the basic pleasures of building a camp fire at the end of the day. Highly recommend Northern Ireland & this Featherdown Farm.

This was our first holiday as a couple, and with 3 kids between us, we were expecting chaos and trauma. Instead we came back completely chilled out and desperate to return. This was possibly because the kids slept in til 8 AM, and there was a brewery nearby!

The kids loved collecting the eggs from the chickens themselves. I'm not sure what was the best use of them, they tasted fantastic with the sausages during our outdoor breakfasts, but the kids loved to boil them and have egg and spoon races by the tent.

We've got some magical memories, and the kids (and us) are desperate to return.

I would recommend it to anybody! IT IS SUPERB! Take your children and try it- you will love it!

We went to Pretty wood farm. We went with 4 families with all kids ages 2 and a half and 2 kids under 1, we had the best time and so did the kids. Loads of chickens everywhere, the little ones loved helping to round them up in the evening and collect the eggs in the morning. They were able to bottle feed the lambs and play on the tractors. I would really recommend a Featherdown Farm holiday, we had a lot of fun 'glamping'! All 5 families agreed we would definately do it again. There is also a great Michelin starred pub nearby which we booked in advance and we got a grat private room so as not to disturb other dinners with all our broods running around and a lovely garden out front. The tents are great and in the evenings we were able to light a fire and have a glass or 2 of wine but be near enough to hear if any of the kids had woken. A great British holiday.

Well it's not really camping - think the proper term is 'glamping'. It was great, we have two boys who were aged 4 and 6 and they absoloutely loved it. We went in March and it was a bit cold but that didn't dampen our entusiasm. The accommodation has wooden floors with a canvas tent over you, proper beds with duvets, running water and there is even a toilet (of sorts!) in your tent, there is obviously no electricity, but a lovely log burner for heat and cooking and evenings are spent by candle light. I could not recommend it enough - the favorite of my boys way the bed in a cupboard!! look at the website - they really are lovely (www.featherdownfarm.co.uk)

We love the featherdown tents and loved this farm. the tents are in a huge field and the children just played for hours - we were lucky that another family were there and the children played football for hours. showers are a trek but they'd just been done and were pretty amazing. I'm sure there were fired earth tiles! don't get that normally. Shop was ok but a trek to it so we just went in the morning when they did fresh bread.

showers had a loo in it too - which was great for when the little ones got caught short.

Children loved getting eggs from the chicks and we all loved eating them! we've booked to go back this easter which is why after a year i'm on this site again leaving this review - i remembered another featherdown review which gave a big list of what to take - so came to search for that.

Area had lots to do and this time we've booked surfing lessons, horse riding and river fishing (not for me!).

We went to Boswarthen Farm in Madron, Cornwall. Sorry this is late but from last year! We went (me, fussy husband and the little uns) went in August and it was lovely. Showers weren't great to be honest as as much as the farmers tried to keep them clean the floor ended up muddy. maybe too many people using them? but lovely little shop and really nice people who made sure we could light the fire up etc. A bit of an expensive back to basics break but we've already been to another featherdown farm so we obviously liked it! don't forget to take bin bags and loo roll and little treats for the children.

We have been to Featherdowne Farm at Belle Vue Farm twice now and both times rate as our best holidays ever. We have two boys aged 5 and 2 and this year went with two other families and children ranging from 5 months upwards.

The farmers who run this campsite are wonderful. They are helpful and friendly and very passionate about the organic dairy farm that they run. We had tractor rides, picked up freshly laid eggs from then hens, the men did lazer shooting and we all relaxed in the beautiful fields.

The tents are a brilliant concept for those who shy away from 'real' camping. With running water, flushing toilet, beds, tables and woodburning stove, they are more like basic cottages. But you still sleep under canvas and open your tent onto acres of green.

The area around the farm has lots to offer, we visited a village where Harry Potter was partly filmed; found an adventure playground and visited steam railways.

We always come back, happy , relaxed and ready to go again soon, I can't recommend it enough.

One tip though - bring a small gas cooker if you like a cup of tea first thing in the morning, the woodburning stove takes a long time to heat up!

We have been to Belle Vue Featherdowne Farm in Wiltshire twice now and both times rate as our best holidays ever. We have two boys aged 5 and 2 and this year went with two other families and children ranging from 5 months upwards.

The farmers who run this campsite are wonderful. They are helpful and friendly and very passionate about the organic dairy farm that they run. We had tractor rides, picked up freshly laid eggs from then hens, the men did lazer shooting and we all relaxed in the beautiful fields.

The tents are a brilliant concept for those who shy away from 'real' camping. With running water, flushing toilet, beds, tables and woodburning stove, they are more like basic cottages. But you still sleep under canvas and open your tent onto acres of green.

The area around the farm has lots to offer, we visited a village where Harry Potter was partly filmed; found an adventure playground and visited steam railways.

We always come back, happy , relaxed and ready to go again soon, I can't recommend it enough.

One tip though - bring a small gas cooker if you like a cup of tea first thing in the morning, the woodburning stove takes a long time to heat up!

We have been to Belle Vue Featherdowne Farm in Wiltshire twice now and both times rate as our best holidays ever. We have two boys aged 5 and 2 and this year went with two other families and children ranging from 5 months upwards.

The farmers who run this campsite are wonderful. They are helpful and friendly and very passionate about the organic dairy farm that they run. We had tractor rides, picked up freshly laid eggs from then hens, the men did lazer shooting and we all relaxed in the beautiful fields.

The tents are a brilliant concept for those who shy away from 'real' camping. With running water, flushing toilet, beds, tables and woodburning stove, they are more like basic cottages. But you still sleep under canvas and open your tent onto acres of green.

The area around the farm has lots to offer, we visited a village where Harry Potter was partly filmed; found an adventure playground and visited steam railways.

We always come back, happy , relaxed and ready to go again soon, I can't recommend it enough.

One tip though - bring a small gas cooker if you like a cup of tea first thing in the morning, the woodburning stove takes a long time to heat up!

Featherdown Farms have achieved the impossible and made me enojoy camping. Except it is not really camping at all. The "tents" are more like canvas houses with wooden floorboards and proper furniture (and flushable toilets). Each "tent" has a comfy double bed and a lovely carved cabinet bed for kids to sleep. There are also bunk beds in the second bedroom.

We loved every minute of our holiday. My daughter's favourite activity was checking the chicken run for hens each morning. Mine was cooking those eggs on the little wood burning stove in the centre of our kitchen while fantasing I was a goldrush pioneer. That stove did pose a few problems at first, it took DH AGES to get it lit, and on teh first night we restorted to warming food in teh microwave in the honesty shop (blush). But we soon got the hang of it, and always left time to get it lit before we needed start cooking.

I would throughly recommend Featherdown and I love Devon so this was a winning combo. I have also been to the Dorset Featherdown which was nice but slightly less friendly and less spacious.

I work for a newspaper so know of readers' holiday offers that are advertised each week in the paper, but Feather Down Farm caught my eye, and I coudn't stop thinking the concept was great, and I just knew my family would love it! I don't do camping, the thought of giving up my dishwasher, central heating and going back in time like the coal house don't seem like a holiday to me. The more I read about the farm the more I fell in love with the idea, I just had to go!

Myself, banker husband, son 13, daughter 8, daughters best friend and our little dog Lacey (a Jackchi) booked a weekend at Billingsmoor Farm, Devon, October 2008 and this is my review..........

The tent was much bigger than the picture in the brochure, the style is very Shabby-Chic and reminded me of "Little House On The Prairie" - six seater dinning table, two great deck-chairs that you will want to bring home; a kitchen sink with cold running water from the local spring, and all your cooking and eating tools, you don`t even need a bottle opener! A wood burning stove for cooking and heating, old-fashioned cool chest for your food, a proper coffee grinder (heaven!)... Oh and there's a mains flushing loo!! Sleeping arrangements comprise a double room with a real bed & duvet, a bunk room and a double cabin-bed (bed in a cupboard, which the kids loved).

There's no electricity - but there are oil-lamps, lanterns and candle-chandeliers. (Bring a supply of tea-lights and candles).

The tents are situated in a large field, with uninterrupted views of the STUNNING countryside. My children played in the woods for hours making dens, playing football, and having wheelbarrow races. It was so lovely to see kids being kids, and the dog was off with them all day. There are free range chickens where you can help yourself to fresh eggs every morning. Billingsmoor farm is a Dairy Farm so the milk is a must! On Saturday night the farmer lights a large wood traditional oven, and everyone stands around drinking wine while their food cooks, it produced lovely bread!

The small farm shop works on an honesty basis, there's only a few bits on sale so don`t rely on it, there is a Tesco in the town.
You won`t need an alarm clock as the Cows will wake you up around 7.30am, it was lovely to sit outside with a mug of coffee and watch the cows returning to the field ( there wasn`t a smell from the cows, I thoughts there would have been with 150 cows).

I pre-ordered a breakfast hamper that included...8 local think cut bacon slices, 8 thick sausages and 6 large eggs

We'd never done a Feather Down Farm holiday before - and only been camping the once as a family - so weren't sure what to expect.... but this was brilliant, if far, far too luxurious to really be called camping. (Glamping, definitely.)

The tents are just fabulous: I want one for my back-garden... if only I had a back-garden big enough to fit one in. More like small houses, sleeping arrangements comprise a double room, a bunk room and a cabin-bed (sort of a bed in a cupboard, which my son used and adored). All have proper mattresses and duvets - but bring some extra blankets as it can get cold even in summer.

The main living space has a big shabby-chic table in it that can easily seat six; two deck-chairs; a kitchen area with sink and cold running water - plus all the bits and pieces you need for cooking and eating; a wood burning stove for cooking on (which also kept the place toasty when the wind was howling); an old-fashioned cool chest for your food (you get frozen water battles from the farm to help keep everything cold); a proper coffee grinder (bliss)... oh and there's a separate flushing loo - so no midnight traipses outside (bliss with brass knobs on).

There's no electricity - but there are oil-lamps, lanterns and candle-chandeliers. (Bring a supply of tea-lights and candles). Come nightfall, with the stove pumping out heat and the candles flickering, it really was quite beautiful.

Boswarthen Farm (run by Adrian and Madeleine who can't do enough to help you) is about ten minutes outside of Penzance. The tents are situated in a large field, with uninterrupted views down to the coast and out to St. Michael's Mount. There's not much in the field - it's a field - other than a chicken coop where you can help yourselves to fresh eggs (11.30am is a good time to check, just wait for the clucking) and a large wood-fired traditional oven (it didn't get fired up during our stay, but it's used to cook a weekly communal supper if there are enough takers.) Oh, and there's also a rugby post - which we all got quite good at kicking balls over. (Strangely, my aim got better the more wine I'd consumed.) The kids enjoyed running round the place, playing football and gathering up grass-cuttings into huge piles with the wheelbarrows you're provided with to take your stuff to and from where the cars are parked. That said, Boswarthen is a working farm, so they were restricted to playing in the field - there are no nearby woods or streams where they can play unsupervised. So if you're looking for a setting where kids can build dams and make camps while you get on with the cooking, you might be better off at another location.

Up at the main farm building, there's a shower-block (make sure you go in your wellies as you take the same route as the cows do) and a small farm shop that works on an honesty basis. There's not enough on sale to keep you going for a week - but it's good for essentials and there are big supermarkets five minutes drive away.

Boswarthen is a superb base for exploring this part of Cornwall. There's loads to see and do with kids and we went out everyday - but it was lovely to come back to the tent as night fell, fire up the stove, open a bottle of wine and invite the neighbours over. Luckily for us, the family in the next tent were not only lovely but had a son the same age as ours - and our most abiding memory is of us lying on the grass, staring up at the star-studded sky and watching shooting stars sweep across the night.